Welcome back staff and students! As we kick off the second half of the school year, we are taking it back to the roots of our STEM program, with a spotlight on ENGINEERING! You can't spell STEAM without E! Every great STEAM project contains some level of engineering to help solve your real word problem. All engineering designs start with an idea, and thats what our books of the month are all about!
Please be sure to check out the supplemental resources on all things Engineering and Engineers for teachers to use in conjunction with these texts. There are videos to serve as hooks/activators for the read aloud or to serve as background knowledge-building resources and/or inspiration for our Mableton Jaguar Scholars during their aligned STEAM Challenges. There are also additional fiction and informational texts listed you can check out as well as the emoji book reviews available for each grade level.
Please be sure to check out the supplemental resources on all things Engineering and Engineers for teachers to use in conjunction with these texts. There are videos to serve as hooks/activators for the read aloud or to serve as background knowledge-building resources and/or inspiration for our Mableton Jaguar Scholars during their aligned STEAM Challenges. There are also additional fiction and informational texts listed you can check out as well as the emoji book reviews available for each grade level.
Primary Book: What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobbi Yamad
Synopsis:
This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started.
Synopsis:
This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started.
Intermediate Book: Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Synopsis:
Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose inisists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.
Synopsis:
Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose inisists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.
Additional Resources
Videos on Engineering | Additional Engineering Books |
| PBS Kids has a Dinosaur Train engineering game, where students must build the train track in the quickest, safest route to get the train to the next station on time. Check it out here. |
"Girl Power" in the Engineering Field is what this website it all about!Check out interviews, and profiles on current female engineers, learn about different Engineering careers, and learn about why engineering is a good choice for a future career! Check is out HERE.
Check out http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/engineering.html to find cool engineering games and experiments to try at home or at school!
STEAM and Writing Resources
Please check out the "January" Office 365 folder within the "Book of the Month" folder for this month's aligned STEAM challenges as well as the writing response resources.